Co-Working Space: Evolving Plans

In my co-working space dream, I wake up early, throw a quiche in the oven, and then maybe brew some espresso or chai (with coconut cream, of course). Depending on the season, other early-risers and I may attend to some early morning gardening chores (or goats!). I am an editor for some sort of environmental publication, so I have some work in my Inbox that I can review in a comfy chair. By this time, other humans have come on the scene, and we chat a bit over breakfast. Some folks power up their laptops in the nearby community office, while others read quietly in the library. In the craft garage, potters spin wheels, mechanics tinker with bikes, smiths forge tools. Lunch is an exciting event, as the outreach coordinator announces that a small tech sales office has hired us for their annual retreat. The group has expressed interest in paddling, fishing, and community cooking events. The paddling, fishing, and cooking instructors meet after lunch to start scheduling their events. The previous week, a book club came up for the weekend for yoga, pottery, and community gardening and cooking events. Next week, a Boy Scout troop is coming for a horse-supported backpacking trip into the high country.

Where will this take place? Maybe I'll find some great places in Chile, but long term I think I'd like to live on the same continent as my friends and family. That said, I don't think I can ever live in the concrete jungles of the Midwest -- I'm super stoked about the wilderness and mountains of the American west.  In order for gardening to work without excessive irrigation, some rainfall would be ideal. Much of the coastal land is highly developed and expensive, leaving several wet regions of the Intermountain West, mainly clustered around mountain ranges. Soil seems to be less of a constraint early on, as years of soil building, raised beds, greenhouses, and cold frames will inevitably be required to start farming high, cold, rocky ground in the west.

I love living in Colorado -- high temperatures and high sun angles make for great farming, if you have access to water. In addition to gardening, I value access to snow, especially for skiing. Sadly, projections are showing long-term reductions in the Colorado snow pack that won't make for great skiing.

Which brings me to north central Idaho -- this region historically has seen high amounts of precipitation, and is projected to retain more snow pack than Colorado. Idaho is full of wilderness and public lands, and may have some cheap land for sale:

https://www.landwatch.com/Benewah-County-Idaho-Land-for-sale/pid/327232506

https://www.landwatch.com/Shoshone-County-Idaho-Land-for-sale/pid/60001126

https://www.landwatch.com/Bonner-County-Idaho-Land-for-sale/pid/326733394

https://www.landwatch.com/Bonner-County-Idaho-Land-for-sale/pid/25049253

https://www.landwatch.com/Mineral-County-Montana-Land-for-sale/pid/289374779

Logistics:
Proximity to a small town definitely has benefits, including access to employment, education, and childcare opportunities, a farmers market to sell produce and wares, and generally avoiding car ownership. Generally, the goal would be for individuals to be self-employed and/or remotely-employed so that they would be able to spend time around the community. Overall, the group would be structured as a co-housing community: folks would have an opportunity to purchase <1 acre for themselves and their homestead, and purchase a share in the group facilities, including kitchen, dining hall, office, library, farm, craft garage, yoga studio etc. and a monthly fee for bulk food purchasing. Community meals would take place once or twice per week, and community meetings would occur once or twice per month. Income from both individual and cooperative business ventures would be taxed at a rate determined by members in order to maintain, improve, and develop shared facilities. Generally, income from cooperative ventures such as the retreats mentioned above would be distributed among the instructors and any support staff such as cooks. Health insurance could be purchased on the government marketplace, offered by an external employer, or purchased as a group within the cooperative.

Do you share my dream?